Viera Codex
by Roseria Sylvester
Summary: Ever wondered about the mysterious Viera race? The Royal College of Archades brings you this comprehensive study of this reclusive race. Warning: Fan-Lore.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** These are tidbits of information that can be considered fan-made lore for the mysterious Viera of Ivalice. Everything from their social structure to their history to my idea of who Lente was. Mostly pertains to any of my stories including Salikawood Viera like Neyva (Also known as "Stitches") or my forum character: Guild Master Ay'ada. Also, before I go any further I wanna say… Zodiarksavior (and whoever else may read this that knows the lore of Ivalice) I know your probably gonna read this and go "That's not true, this is." and review with what is true about something. I'm not trying to be a bitch, but as I said before- this is FAN-LORE! It does not necessarily follow everything that we know to be true about the history of Ivalice, it is here to make sense of my creations: The Salikawood and Feywood Viera. My rant said, on with the lore!

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><p><strong>Foreword<strong>

By Professor Astraella Rorikk,  
>Head of the Social Science Division of the Royal College of Archades<p>

Of the races that inhabit Ivalice, few are as mysterious and intriguing as the reclusive Viera. Often a common sight in cities like Rabanastre or Balfonhiem, the tall snowy haired people are considered exotic enigmas- both personally and as a people. For any who may be curious about these elegant beings- we have now comprised a codex of sorts that details all of the information found by the Royal College of Archades on the subject of their history, social structure, and other topics pertaining to not only the well known Viera of Golmore Jungle- but also about two lesser known variants of this proud race. Beginning with how these villages became what they are today, we shall enlighten you on all of these subjects in the hopes that perhaps everyone may better understand why the Viera are who they are as well as develop an understanding for their ways.

Separation of the Villages:

Long ago before the age of the Dynast-King, the Golmore Jungle, Salikawood, and Feywood were once a single forest. It is unknown exactly how long ago the forests became separate woods, only that something destroyed the area between them that would not allow for new trees to form. Between the Salikawood and Golmore, a massive desert formed; while a wall of stone rose out of the ground to separate the Golmore Jungle from the Feywood, allowing mist to thicken and condense among it's boughs- warping and defiling the creatures within.

The Forgotten Viera of the Feywood:

Before the condensation of mist, there was once a Viera Village deep within this mysterious forest. These Viera were Master-Smiths, creating weapons and armor from various metals… including magicite. When the magicite in their armor began to react negatively with the new overabundance of mist, their minds snapped and they were driven mad with rage… as a result the entire village was destroyed nearly overnight. Travelers to this wood would think this a mere fable as no trace of the village can be seen anywhere; but they would be fools to think so. This village was hidden in a secret valley, reachable through a tunnel hidden by magick and sealed by their last Shaman: Dywena, the very last Viera of this forgotten village to maintain her sanity long enough to seal the village to protect the forest and cast a scroll containing this information outside the barrier. The name of this village is lost to the ravages of time, as the scroll only seemed to mention the name once near the bottom; the section containing the name in question seems to have been torn off. However the last three letters of the name are legible: -rst. Also all attempts so far to dissolve the barrier have failed, leaving us no choice but to abandon the archeological investigation of the Village. Should the barrier fall on it's own, anyone reading this is advised to exercise caution and inform the proper authorities immediately; under no circumstances should you enter the site, as there is no way of knowing what is inside… and if all Viera within are truly dead, or simply warped by the mist.

It is unknown what these Viera looked like, but we surmise that they also had the signature long ears situated on top of their heads like others of their race as well as naturally tan skin. There are rumors however that these Viera had dark silver-colored irises; whether this is true or not can not be proven until the barrier can be brought down and the ancient village explored for any visual representations of the former inhabitants.

The Blue-Eyed Viera of Salikawood:

The Viera of Salikawood, exist in Ivalice to this very day; although they are never seen outside their Wood save for a small handful scattered to the winds for their own reasons. This is due to the fact that these Viera have less reason to leave as they are not nearly as hostile than their red-eyed Golmore cousins, and allow travelers free passage through their domain; going as far as patrolling the pathways for travelers in danger. While talented warriors like their Golmore cousins, most of their variant are actually healers or a specialization unique to them called: Spell-Weavers, a kind of mage. Please refer to the section dedicated to social structure for more details.

These Viera are known to anyone aware of their existence by their distinct blue irises; the lighter the shade, the older the Salika Viera. Their current Shaman, Ks'ata, is an example of this fading coloration: as her eyes are a startling pale star-light blue; which leads us to believe that she is of incredible age, as no other Viera in the village of Xerys has eyes that even match hers. In addition to this, Salika Viera appear to be lighter in skin tone: their Veena being comparable to Humes, and their Rava akin to average Veena. Another odd trait of these Viera, is that their life span seems to be close to half that of Golmore Viera; this is thought to be due to their exposure to Humes and their diseases. Were a Hume can live to be around 90 if they live an active and healthy life, Salika Viera commonly live to be around 110 compared to the seemingly limitless lifespan of the Golmore Viera. In addition, the Salikawood Viera appear to have a higher tolerance to mist and it's effects; the cause of this is unknown, but speculated to be due to living in close proximity to natural magicite.

The Fierce Warrior Viera of Golmore Jungle

The most well known of the Viera race, this variant is often thought to be cold and ruthless to strangers… and those who believe this are often right. The dark passages of the Golmore Jungle are rife with dangers and hardly anyone dares to enter it's foreboding foliage; in fear of both monsters and it's Viera guardians. Little is known about this secretive Viera, though we have spoken to several Viera who have left the seclusion of their home in Eruyt Village; they never gave much information, saying something about the "Green Word" forbidding them from divulging the secrets of their village and it's history. Though our information about the forests once being the same wood came from these interviews and set us on the correct path towards discovering more.

This variant of Viera is the one nearly everyone envisions when they think of the race as a whole. Tall, white haired, with varying shades of red eyes and iconic tall ears positioned on the top of their heads. Though of the Golmore Viera, the darker skinned Rava seem most common compared to the paler Veena.

Common questions and misconceptions

Many people wonder about the mysterious Viera… the most common question is- how do they reproduce if they are all female? The answer to this question is quite simple- they are not. For each known Viera village, there is a brother-village where the males live in even closer guarded seclusion than the females. While the reasons for this separation is unknown, it is speculated that it is for population control. Since the Viera have such long life spans, living alongside the males of the species could tempt many to procreate faster than the forests they live in can maintain. No Viera we have spoken with has ever divulged the location of a Male Vieran village, which leads us to believe that neither village knows of the other's location and that there may be a set date for gatherings and perhaps even small hideaways where couples can be alone.

Another question that comes up among those who know the true answer about male and female Viera, is if they marry or are pairings simply one night stands? While we have yet to learn of Vieran marital rituals, we are certain that at least the eldest among the villages are indeed married to their partners. This is because all Viera we have interviewed seem to value family about all else but the "Green Word". What this dogma the Viera follow has yet to be fully understood and seems to vary slightly based on the two known villages; perhaps the answer to the question is written somewhere in this seemingly universal teaching.

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><p>So this is what i have so far, if anyone has questions: either PM me or ask in a review and the topic will be covered in the next update- if anyone reviews anonymously, please leave a name that i can call you in the questions section! I'm probably gonna do this in each chapter.<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

The Viera are natural born warriors; be they of Golmore or Salika descent, this much is evident of both clan's of forest dwellers. We have yet to find anymore information on the Fey Viera and have made no progress in persuading the Golmore Viera to enlighten us on their people; though we have found the Salika Viera to be more than cooperative- having even taught several of my scholars how to defend themselves as they do with surprising ease and success. As a result of this lack of information, this chapter of the codex will be devoted solely to the study of the Salika Viera's social structure, their methods of combat, magicks, and their exceptional prowess in medicine.

**Life in Xerys Village**

The Salika Viera spend the first thirteen years of their lives as children, playing around the village without a care or worry in the world, though upon their fourteenth year they begin to train with each of the three professions: Wood-Warders, Salve-Makers, and Spell-Weavers- a profession unique to the Salika Viera. After one year of this preliminary training, the Master's of each profession convene to decide what would be best for the student- though this seems to be simply an advisory, for the pupil may choose which they believe would be best after taking their teacher's words into consideration. Typically the student stays in that profession for the remainder of her life, though there are occasions where they change their mind or are unable to continue with their previous occupation so transfers do happen on rare occasions. After they have gained enough skill and experience, they may undertake a trial- which we were not privy to being introduced to- for the title of Master of their profession. Master's are seen as teachers and are shown great respect among the people of the village- though they are not the highest rank in the village hierarchy, the highest rank below the village Shaman is that of Grand-Master which is often the oldest and most experienced of each profession and is hand picked to be the advisors of the Shaman. Speaking of the Shaman, she is the equivalent of the matriarch or Queen of the village. At the time of this codex being written, the Shaman's name is Ks'ata: a tall and proud looking Viera who specialized in Spell-Weaving during her early years. As Shaman, it is her duty to protect the village in any way the Wood-Warders are unable and to lead her people in times of great need. We compare her to a Queen because the role of Shaman appears to be that of a blood-line; her eldest daughter, who was unavailable for comments, was to be the next Shaman- but it appears that the role is to pass to Ks'ata's other daughter Ni'ari. The Shaman and her children are shown great respect, though as a result of their noble birth more is expected of the children- the eldest to be a greater leader than their mother, and any other children to be Grand-Master's of their profession; as such we were not surprised to find that the Grand-Master Salve-Maker, Jy'ana, was Ks'ata's younger sister- though no such relation exists between the other two Grand-Masters.

A final note on the Grand-Masters: Their title among the villagers is simply "Grand-Master", the longer title only seems to be used for introductions to those who are unfamiliar with the ways of the Salika Viera.

**The Studies of The Spell-Weavers**

The Spell-Weaver is a profession that is seemingly unique to Xerys Village. They are Viera who possess a incredible amount of natural skill with magicks and the creation of new spells, and can be identified by the silver trimmed chokers they wear adorned with a small piece of magick amplifying magicite; the color of the choker band denotes the skill of the wearer: blue for unranked mages, purple for skilled, red for Master, and black for the Grand-Master. Each Spell-Weaver also keeps a book in which she keeps a list of spells created by her alone as well as her notes on projects and the like; though sadly after much attempts at persuasion, none of the Spell-Weavers would allow us more information on the subject. It appears that the Spell-Weavers are the creators of the paling that protects Xerys Village as well as the originators of the paling that hides Eruyt Village- further cementing the idea that the villages were at one time one and the same- though the ancient name of this apparently massive Viera City has been lost to time. The Spell-Weavers also act as Village archivists and genealogists, tracing blood-lines and parentage over generations; it is unknown if the Golmore Viera also have a group who do this, but it is speculated that this may be a job of their Salve-Makers. Master Spell-Weaver Ti'are was fairly suspicious of our investigation and was less than happy when her latest student, the Shaman's daughter Ni'ari, seemed to spew information in a childlike manner; truly she was a more than adequate guide to the village after word of the incident spread to her mother.

A final note concerning Spell-Weavers: every Spell-Weaver is apparently teamed with a Wood-Warder as something of a precautionary measure against the monsters that are so often weak against magicks but quick to disrupt the casting of spells.

**The Arts of The Salve-Makers**

The Salve-Makers are the healers of the village; when some becomes ill or injured, they are who the patient is brought to. It is not uncommon to hear tales of travelers being brought to these women after being wounded in the dangerous Salikawood. The Viera of Salkiawood, unlike their Golmore cousins, are not hostile to travelers and will allow them to stay in the village for a short time; hence why we were permitted to conduct our research without fear of being shunned or run out of the village with bruises and arrows protruding from our posteriors. The Salve-Makers are often the more demure and kind of the village denizens, trading the harsh warrior life of Wood-Warders and Spell-Weavers for the simple life of healers; they can be identified by the circlets they wear upon their brows: simple silver for unranked Salve-Makers, more ornate ones for Viera of higher skill, a magicite gem is added for Masters, while the circlet becomes gold with a magicite gem for Grand-Master. The Salika Viera take great pride in their salves and potions, some of which we have seen mend the most grievous of wounds with naught a scar to show for it! Though these medicines are designed for the surprisingly sturdy bodies of Viera rather than the often fragile ones of Humes- though we have heard they are moderately effective on Bangaa, with considerably slower effect on Seeq and Moogles. There is even one potion they have created that is said to heal old wounds as well, ones that have scarred over and healed improperly- though it does not restore lost limbs, but we have never seen it used to confirm this potion as fact rather than the boasting of Master Salve-Maker Or'yna.

**The Tactics of The Wood-Warders**

This section is truly the pride of our research into the ways of the Salika Viera! Of all three professions, this is the one they seemed most forthright about and held little back. The Wood-Warders of this village, like their Golmore cousins, wear black armor; though this is not an indicator of their skill level- instead they can be identified by their ceremonial swords, used only when praying for victor in battle or when pledging loyalty to a new Shaman. The simple black swords are a sign of the new trainees, a jewel on the pommel of the hilt symbolizes a skilled warrior, a black blade with silver trim is that of a Master, and the black blade with gold trim is the sword of a Grand-Master. The Salika Viera, to those who know of their existence, are specialists in martial arts techniques- using their very bodies as the deadliest weapons in their arsenal. They are trained from the moment they join the ranks of the Wood-Warders for the strength of their leg muscles- their devastating kicks being far more powerful than their punches. Many of us quaked in fear as we witnessed Grand-Master Wood-Warder Ei'ora punch a crack into one large boulder- but split another just like it in half with a single downward kick! They would not comment on the names of their techniques or the exact process of the training all Wood-Warders endure, but we surmise that the training is harsh and ill advised for the practice of Humes and other races. Besides their skill with martial arts, the Salika Viera are also skilled in the use of pole-arm weaponry; particularly the use of long and quarter staffs. We watched many a training bout and were impressed to see the students trading blows as well as practicing the caution of defensive action- A Master presided over ever match, though they often swapped out Masters between matches, would often explain the tactics they taught the younger generation:

"Knowing when to defend is important, simply attacking will not ensure victory; one must balance the two in order to survive a prolonged battle." Was the first lesson the students were taught. For the slim and swift Viera, guarding if often not enough either when facing an opponent that outweighs them; as such the are also taught effective ways to avoid attacks putting their powerful legs into motion as they perform flips and the like to avoid injury. When a student moves up in rank to the status of a skilled Wood-Warder, they must survive a fight with their designated Master while still inflicting a certain amount of hits; we were shocked to see the seriousness of these fights, were the teacher would not hold anything back… and we witnessed at least two occasions in which the students were cut down, their lives ended far too prematurely at the hands of the Master who taught them. This particular Master, Fa'liia, is a tall and cruel woman- a stark contrast around the kinder and more forgiving members of the village. We avoided her as much as we could while not showing we were terrified of her; as showing fear to her was like throwing logs into a fire- only the other Masters who had earned her respect and those above her could put her in her place when she berated the students with such harshness.

**A Matter of Names**

At times, the pronunciation of Salika names may seem difficult to understand with your eyes, but with your ears to guide you it becomes far simpler. Here is a list of names we have mentioned so far and how to pronounce them. Keep in mind, that the apostrophe signifies a pause in the pronunciation.

Ks'ata: Key. Sata

Ni'ari: Knee. Are-ee

Jy'ana: Gee. Ah-nah

Ti'are: Tea. Are-eh

Or'yna: Or. E-na

Ei'ora: E. Or-ah

Fa'liia: Fa. Lee-ah

These names do not seem to denote relations or common professions, they may have at one time held meaning in the distant past- but such knowledge is lost even to the Salika Viera themselves.

**Chapter "Outro"**

It is highly uncommon that I do something like this for a scientific research document, but since I expect people to delve into the Salikawood in search of these commonly kind folk- as a result i have written this list of warnings.

DO NOT drink anything given to you by Master Salve-Maker Or'yna... she is a bit of a perv and a complete flirt, women are safe but men should take caution.

DO NOT harrass Master Spell-Weaver Ti'are, as she will give you quite the "hot foot" to hurry you our of her way.

DO NOT challenge Master Wood-Warder Fa'liia, unless you have a death wish. In fact, STAY OUT OF HER WAY ENTIRELY!


End file.
